Hope
by xMissWhitneyBexx
Summary: A little girl has been found and she says she's been abused. So when Rusty's appointed to be her lawyer, he finds out more about her than he bargains for when the test results come back positive.
1. Chapter 1

**I couldn't get this idea out of my mind so here is a story based on Rusty since there aren't that many and his half-sister who we do not know in the show so she'll be called, well you'll find out later. This is set when Rusty is twenty-eight and an aspiring lawyer in family law. So, here we go.**

* * *

The female police officer nodded curtly as he stepped into the office, placing his briefcase on the desk.

"I came as soon as I could. Are you sure that no other lawyer could take this case?"

She sighed, folding her hands behind her back as she looked down. "It's a... delicate case here, Mr Beck. A child has been... abused."

Rusty nodded, folding his arms. "How old is she?"

"Seven, going eight. She seems fine but she asked for a female to be present at all times. She is wise beyond her years. Talking fluently and defiant but I don't think she _understands_ what happened to her."

"Where was she found?"

Lieutenant Byrnes pursed her lips before replying, "Somewhere downtown. A woman came across her and called the authorities."

"Is it alright if I ask her questions now? Or should I wait until the morning? It is quite late." Rusty asked, checking his watch.

"She said she doesn't mind being interviewed right now. The sooner the better, I guess." Byrnes replied, leading him out of the office into the interview room.

When Rusty entered, he saw a young blonde girl with dark brown eyes and the saddest frown. He recognised those eyes.

He sat down across from her and offered a small, comforting smile. She gasped subtly but maintained her frown. She looked behind her and the female social worker offered a comforting smile as well, nodding so she knew that he was one of the 'good guys'.

"Hi," Rusty started. He wanted to call her 'love' or 'sweetheart' but he felt that one of those may trigger her. "I'm Rusty and what's your name?"

She looked down before looking back up. "Hope," she whispered so quietly that he could barely hear her.

"Hope? That's a hopeful name..." He attempted to lighten the mood but she looked away from him to Brynes.

"What are you? Why are you here?"

Rusty's eyes trailed down to her neck where a heart-shaped locket laid. "I'm a lawyer. Well, an attorney. I'm here to help you put the bad guys away so they don't hurt any more people."

"You're not going to hurt me?" Hope mumbled.

"No! Never." Rusty assured her, maintaining his distance and preventing himself from touching her hand which picked at a piece of bread on a plate. "Do you like burgers?"

The girl nodded, looking up at him. "Cheeseburgers are my favorite."

Rusty turned around to face Brynes. "Do you mind? You can charge me later."

She sighed, nodding before leaving the room with the door making a 'click' behind her.

"Where are your parents, Hope?"

Hope shrugged. "My dad is in jail. I think. I've never met him but that's what my momma told me before she left me."

"When did she leave, Hope?"

"Four years ago."

"Did you have anyone else looking after you, Hope?" Rusty gently pressed.

She nodded. "They didn't like me though. I ran away."

"When was this, Hope?"

Hope looked up. "You're saying my name a lot."

"It's a nice name. So, when did you run away, Hope?"

"Two years ago."

"You were five or six?" Rusty gasped. "That's a really young age to run away, Hope."

Hope shrugged, "I know. They didn't like me and I didn't like them."

"Why did you run away? Was it because of your mom?"

She nodded. "That and they didn't like me. I heard them talk about me, saying that they never should have let me stay with momma."

"So, where have you been staying for the past two years?" Rusty asked.

Hope shrugged. "I stayed with these other girls, they worked at night so they could play with me during the day. But one died and the other ran away so I live on the streets now."

"When was this?"

"Last week."

Rusty nodded, writing in his notebook. "That's a nice locket, you've got there." He said, his gaze down at what he'd written.

Hope smiled. "Want to see what's inside?"

"Why not?" Rusty replied, looking up at her.

She unclasped the locket and placed it in his waiting hand. "There's a picture of me in there."

Rusty opened it up to see two children. One of a young baby and another...

"Wh-who is this?"

"My half-brother. My momma says that he's really successful so he never has time to see us. Well..., she said that. I want to find him. I've started looking for him."

Rusty continued to look down at the locket, his heart beginning to tighten in his chest. The young boy had blonde hair and a scowl but it was very evident to him who it was.

"Did your mom ever tell you his name?"

Hope smiled even wider. "You have his name! His name is Rusty! Just like yours. This would be a... a co-in...-"

"Coincidence?" Rusty finished for her.

"Yes! That! Isn't that funny?" Hope grinned.

Rusty gave her back the locket and stood up. "I'll be right back,"

He exited the room, retrieving his phone from his pocket just as Brynes returned with a food bag.

"Mr Beck? You look like you've seen a ghost. What did she say to-"

"I need a DNA test done. Immediately," Rusty cut her of.

Brynes stood there confused. "Of Hope? Matched with who?"

Rusty gulped, his phone going to his ear as he heard his mother's voicemail.

 _"You've reached Sharon Beck. Sorry, I can't answer right now but I'll get back to you!"_

"Me."


	2. Chapter 2

Brynes stood there flabbergasted as Rusty paced the room, unbelieving of the results.

"Let's talk this through, honey-"

"Talk what through, Mom? She's my half-sister!" Rusty cut off his other mother. "I... I neglected her and all along, I didn't know that my biological mom abandoned _yet_ another child! Hope is going to hate me once she finds out who I am!"

Commander Flynn pursed her lips, the name still as effective as her former marital surname.

"Rusty, honey... Now, we know that she's your half-sister, we can make steps to legally make her ours."

"But what about Gary's parents? Did they even report her missing? Where's Sharon Beck, herself? Is Gary even in the picture?"

Sharon shrugged, honestly shocked herself about the whole situation. "I can get people to look into that."

"I gotta tell Hope who I am..." Rusty sighed, rubbing his face as he loosened his black tie.

Byrnes stepped into the conversation between mother and son. "She's just been abused, sexually, by a man. Do you really want to tell her she has a brother who is her lawyer. Even then, you won't be able to legally represent her anymore. Especially if you become-"

"Her legal guardian. I know all of this." Rusty said. "I am a lawyer, you know. I know the system."

"Sorry, yes." Byrnes blushed. "Did she have any indication of-"

"She showed me a picture of when I was her age. Then she said she wanted to find me. She needs me."

Byrnes nodded. "Commander, do you mind sitting in?"

"Not at all, Lieutenant." Sharon replied.

Byrnes bit her lip, leading the way back into the interview room to see Hope snacking on biscuits.

"Enjoy your burger, Hope?" Rusty asked with a watery smile as he sat across from her again. "Sorry, I left. I had to get something checked."

Hope nodded. "Who's that?" She asked, looking in the direction of Sharon.

"That's my adopted mom, Sharon. She's a commander so she's very strict."

Hope smiled. "Is she now?" She teased. "Will she tell me off if I make fun of her skirt?"

Sharon frowned, looking down at her blood red suit skirt. "What's wrong with my skirt, Hope?" Sharon asked with a teasing smile.

"It's too red. Doesn't fit your complexion. Momma always says red lipstick not skirts. I don't know why. Maybe because she didn't look good in it. I don't know."

"Well, I'll inform my husband to stop shopping for me."

"So, Hope? You know when you were talking about your brother?" Rusty started.

The girl nodded, placing her bitten biscuit down back on the plate. "Yes. Did you find him for me? Please say you did."

Rusty nodded, smiling. "Yeah, I did, Hope. Guess what?"

"He's coming? Did he say anything? Do I look okay?"

"Perfect," he whispered. "You look perfect."

"When is he coming?" She mumbled, looking away.

'Perfect' must have been a trigger.

"He's actually already here." Byrnes said.

"Is he?" Hope mumbled, twiddling with her hair. "Is he nice?"

Rusty took a deep breath. "I would hope I am. Do you think I'm nice?"

Hope gasped, looking up. "It is you...!" She breathed out, eyes wide. "I felt it in my bones. You _are_ him!"

"Hello, Hope. I'm your big brother..." Rusty breathed out.

Hope smiled, latching her arms around his neck tightly. "Don't leave me. Protect me from the bad guys."

He inhaled her sent, closing his eyes. "I will never leave you. I'll protect you from everything." He replied, kissing her head.

...

Sharon watched as she and Rusty stood behind the glass window, watching a female officer question Hope, her answers the same as the previous two times she had been questioned.

This time, Hope seemed more nervous as she looked longingly at the window.

The officer followed her line of sight. "Don't worry, your brother is there. Now, can you tell me what you remember when your mother went missing?"

The door to the side room opened and Byrnes entered, holding a file. "Hope's grandparents reported her missing two years ago and the case was closed just three months ago after there was no hope of finding her. Until now. Four years ago, your former stepfather escaped police custody on his transferral and was last seen around the area where your mother and his parents lived with Hope. Around the same time, there was evidence that Sharon Beck went missing."

Rusty breathed out, covering his mouth as he closed his eyes to stop his tears. "I knew he'd find a way to hurt her."

"We don't know what may have happened, honey..." Sharon Raydor said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Why don't you go home and get some sleep? I can stay. I still have my emergency foster license on hand. I won't let her sleep here."

it was past five now and Rusty had been stressing for over six hours since he had been brought in.

"I can't leave her."

"I'm here. I'll make sure she is well looked after. Get some sleep, shower and come back refreshed."

So, Rusty found himself unlocking the door to his studio apartment at half past five in the morning. He placed his phone on charge in the kitchen before pouring himself a glass of water.

"You've been gone all night. Tough case?"

He turned, giving a small smile at his roommate, Leslie Reilly, a young blonde junior doctor who had looks that could kill. They weren't close but they did talk occasionally when they were both home. She mostly kept to herself and had been offered his office as a bedroom after leaving med school since paying for an apartment alone costed too much for her starting salary. He too, fresh out of law school, could not afford a place by himself so was glad when she had accepted four years ago.

"You could say that."

Leslie hummed. "Well, my shift starts soon so, I'll see you whenever." She smiled, grabbing her handbag and gym bag before leaving.

Thankful that she was gone, Rusty allowed himself to take longer in the shower, letting his tears mix with the water as he sobbed. When he was done, he got dressed in a clean suit and brewed himself a pot of coffee, one to go and one for the moment. Seeing that the time was only quarter past seven, he decided to go through his emails and answer some texts, replying to ones regarding his mother's upcoming birthday this weekend from his brother, sister and step-siblings. He rubbed his face. How could he even think about that when his little sister needed him?

There was a knock on the door and he stood up, answering it.

"Dad?"

Andy stepped in, his hands buried in his pockets as he briefly glanced around the apartment. After his mother and he had gotten married, he had started to call him 'dad' since step-dad and Andy got too overused. Also, he was the best father figure he had in his life so it worked, especially when Andy responded well to him calling that. Even Emily and Ricky had began calling Andy Flynn their father occasionally or rarely in Ricky's case since Jackson Raydor had died of liver failure five years prior due to alcoholism.

"Your mother filled me in. She sent me to check in you."

"I'm fine," Rusty shrugged, sipping his coffee. "Want one?"

Andy grimaced. "Only decaf tea for me from now on. Anyway, you look like you haven't even slept a wink."

Rusty rolled his eyes, closing the front door as he returned to the sofa for his laptop. "I'm a lawyer, I barely get my forty winks. Especially working with kids... Those are the hardest cases."

"I don't know how you handle it."

"I don't. I just try and help them in their healing process but I can't always make them happy again. But now, I have the chance to, with Hope."

"It's going to be a while until you get custody. We need to inform Gary's parents of her being found. And we need to know what happened to Gary and Sharon Beck. For now, you might have to keep your distance until we have gotten all the information we have to continue."

The blonde shook his head, standing up to put his empty cup in the dishwasher. "She needs me now. Not later. I can't keep my distance. I've let her down and I won't do it again. Plus, I promised her..."

Andy joined him by the sink. "I'm sure she'll understand. Even if you did get custody, is this the right place to raise a child? I'm sure your roommate would love the idea of another roommate."

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you. I could always move back home?"

After the wedding, Sharon and Andy along with a Rusty had moved into a four bedroom craftsman with a swimming pool and beautiful landscaped back garden. This had been seven years ago.

"As much as your mother and I loved you living with us up until you graduated from law school, I highly doubt we'd have the patience for your long showers, your midnight raids of the fridge or your car being parked in front of ours in the morning, restricting us from getting to work. Also, add a little girl to the mix? I think it's safe to say that we are not looking for more tenants at the moment," Andy chuckled.

"I can barely afford this place for myself, let alone a two bedroom for the both of us..." Rusty mumbled. "And I can't ask a Leslie to leave. She's been great and she really needs this place. It's close to her workplace."

Andy leant against the counter, folding his arms. "Look, let's not jump the gun here, Kid. You barely know her and you're talking about her moving in? What about the fact that she's been abused? Do you think she's mentally okay to live with a guy right now? Sure, she trusts you but Sharon said that she was triggered by something you said and immediately clamped up. Maybe she should get fostered then when the time is right, you will make the necessary steps to gain custody. But this will only happen if Gary's parents are not liable for custody anymore. Also, if we find your biological mother."

"Oh God... This is too complicated." Rusty sighed.


	3. Chapter 3

Byrnes looked sympathetically at Rusty as they leant against the wall, watching Hope be led away by the social worker.

"Sorry that we couldn't get her in your custody. Marnie and Gerald did report her missing and as of right now, custody lies with them."

Rusty looked away, not wanting what little of his heart he had left to be broken. "Were there papers signed?"

"Yeah. Your biological mother had papers drawn up in the case anything happened to her. That little girl looked so hopeful when you were around, I sincerely thought you were going to be able to take her home. To a better life."

"What about the fact that she ran away from Gary's parents? Shouldn't that hold any-"

Brynes sighed. "You're a lawyer, Rusty. Think about it."

"Leia, she could have been abused by them too-"

"What seven year old can remember when they were five?" Leia Byrnes argued gently. "Look, let's find out what happened to Sharon Beck and Gary Lewis Then we'll take the necessary steps after that. You're lucky, you have your mother's division handling the case."

Rusty nodded. "Major Crimes have always been there for me."

"Good because you're going to need them. Whatever happens with Hope, I'm on your side. You seem like a good kid."

Rusty chuckled lightly. "Only three people call me 'kid' and none of them are women."

"I'm sure they mean it tenderly," the forty-one year old smiled. "Let's go see what your mother's team have found."

The blonde shook his head. "I'm not ready. What if it's bad news, Leia?"

"You're a big boy. You can handle it. Now, come on."

She led him into the lift and pressed the button for their floor.

"Been here a lot then?" Rusty asked her.

Leia chuckled, nodding. "Quite a few times but I'm mainly stationed with the LAPD. Assistant Chief Mason is a good friend of mine."

The ride became silent and Rusty was thankful when they finally got to the floor, exiting the lift to let others take their place. He commandeered the way to the main room, spotting his mother talking to Sanchez and Nolan.

"Honey, I'm so sorry." She said, manoeuvring over to hug her son. "There has been some... why don't you come into the office with me?"

Rusty narrowed his eyes. "If it's bad news, Mom, tell me now. Please."

Commander Flynn turned to face the whiteboard and Rusty followed her gaze. Sharon Beck's name was under 'victim' and below her name, a brief description of where her body was found after matching DNA samples were taken. Beside her name was Gary's under 'suspect' and another brief description of how he died and was found below as well.

"Murder-suicide?" He guessed.

Sharon nodded, pursing her lips as she glanced at him carefully. "Do you want to come with me?"

Rusty nodded, the room suddenly becoming hotter for him. Sharon nodded discreetly at Andy who began signalling instructions to the rest of the team.

As soon as they stepped into the office, Sharon closed the blinds and took Rusty's hand, letting him join her on the sofa.

"When?"

"Three and a half years ago. I don't know why his parents never even reported her missing nor bring up the fact that Gary had escaped from prison. He was meant to be serving life."

Rusty shook his head in disbelief. "Yet, here they are taking Hope away from me. Maybe they even planned this with Gary."

"We're bringing them in for questioning. Until we have something that could be put forward as evidence for child neglect, Hope will remain in their care."

"So my other mom is really dead... and I thought she abandoned Hope like she did to me. I can't even remember what I said to her last. Why can't I remember?" Rusty breathed out, his chest tightening. "I should have called more. Why didn't I?"

Sharon brought him in for a tight hug, closing her eyes. "Don't beat yourself up about this. No one could have known what would happen."

"Do you know anything about the guy who hurt Hope?" He asked, pulling away to wipe his tears.

Sharon nodded. "We are getting somewhere. Buzz has found some camera footage of Hope being followed. She says that she didn't see his face but from the footage, we can easily unscramble the pixels and catch him. We've also asked for the results of her rape kit. I hope to God that she wasn't-"

"Me too," Rusty cut in, frowning. "I, uh... I gotta go."

As he stood up, his mother grabbed his hand to stop him. "Where are you going?"

"I don't know but if I stay here any longer, I'll lose it." He told her, looking straight into her eyes.

She knew then that if she didn't act fast, she'd lose him.

...

Holding the punching bag, Rusty allowed his eyes to close as he started to sway side to side, images flashing in his head of his biological mother's dead corpse, disintegrated into bones.

He bit his lips, containing his sobs as he threw the gloves down to get his phone.

His fingers found a number which he hadn't used in six years since the breakdown of their relationship but had managed to stay somewhat friends. He was his first true love, how could he let go of that? But he was young and naïve. True love never lasted. His million failed romantic relationships after Gus proved that.

"Rusty?"

Rusty's heart leaped. He hadn't even noticed that he had dialled the number and placed his phone onto his ear.

"G-Gus. Hi."

"Hi," came the unsure reply. "How are you?"

Rusty paced, his other hand going to scratch the back of his neck. "So-so. You?"

"Yeah, I've been doing good."

Rusty nodded. "Good. And, uh, how's... how is-"

"He's fine. We're actually thinking of adopting. We've been lookig for the perfect house here in Napa since we got married."

Lip being bitten down hard, enough to draw blood, Rusty closed his eyes. It stung. That day when he had been excited about law school and being called to perform a mock trial with his good friend of the family, Andrea Hobbs, had been darkened. Gus had called up, crying and ashamed of himself for cheating on Rusty, saying that he was too young to understand why. Rusty's hopes and dreams of a future together had been squashed. He had thrown himself into school to make sure that he was one not to be messed with, just like his mother. Although, after his adoption that he had legally taken Raydor as his surname, Rusty had decided to still be formally known as Rusty Beck. He wanted his own mind, own name and own path.

"Wow, kids. That's a big step."

He could hear the smile. "Yeah. That's what my mother says but we're ready. How about you?"

"Same."

There was surprise laced with Gus' words. "You're in a relationship?"

"No. Not exactly. I'm adopting my half-sister."

"Oh. How is she and your mom?"

Rusty couldn't stop his sobs as Gus became alarmed on the other end. "She... she died three and a half years ago and I didn't know until now when my little sister turned up at my workplace."

"Damn." He heard Gus mutter. "I wish I was there for you. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. You're not the one who killed her and left my sister an orphan."

"But doesn't she have that dad who is locked up?" Gus asked.

"He killed her then himself," Rusty whispered. "That's what it looks like at the moment."

Gus cleared his throat. "Damn. Look, I gotta go but you let me know what happens, yeah? You know that I still care for you no matter what. I'm sorry things turned out this way."

Rusty sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Same."


	4. Chapter 4

Sharon bit her lip, holding her mug of chamomile tea and staring at the unmoved coffee on the table.

"Are you okay?"

Rusty sighed, leaning back and closing his eyes, offering a small shake of his head. "I can't believe they hurt her. That's why she ran away. Why didn't she tell me?"

"Children are fragile. They get scared when they believe that telling the truth will get them in serious trouble. Remember those letters that you hid from me?"

Rusty nodded. "I guess I can understand where she is coming from." He said, opening his eyes. "Why can't I get custody though? I'm her only blood relation who hasn't screwed her over."

"These things are difficult, honey. At least she is staying with a lovely woman." Sharon replied, softly. "Do you want to stay over?"

"I think I need time to myself. Everything is running around in my head and I bet you can hear them working." He chuckled softly.

"A little," Sharon played along, jokingly. "Andy told me you were thinking of finding a place for you and Hope."

Her son turned to face her with a nod. "I've been looking. Found reasonable places near work and a good school."

"You could always stay here. I spoke to Andy about it."

"We could but the nearest school is like forty minutes from here. I've done my research."

Sharon pouted. "That's true. Do you think she's ready for public schooling?"

"I'm planning on home schooling her for now so she isn't behind. Can you believe that she can't read or write?"

She gasped, unaware. "Are you kidding me? Are you telling me that the Lewises didn't teach her or at least influence her? Most five year olds can read and write."

"I know... Look at me. I'm talking as if I have custody of her but I don't." Rusty sighed. "Have you found anything regarding my other mom and Gary?"

Sharon nodded, sipping her tea carefully. "We found some documents and a notebook but they're a bit faded so we are having them deciphered. They were found in your mother's handbag."

"Did they look important?" Rusty asked, crossing his legs on the sofa as he took his coffee and sipped it.

"We don't know. They may be bills for all we know. One thing we do know, it was definitely murder-suicide but we have no idea why." Sharon replied, shrugging as her eyes found the daily news on the TV. The case was kept quite concealed from the public but reports that two bodies were found after nearly four years had spread across the city.

Rusty's gaze followed as well, his lips taking their time to open and sip his coffee. "And what about the guy who hurt Hope?"

"We have two men in custody at the moment. We will ask Hope to hopefully identify who did it. Her new lawyer is due to meet with us tomorrow."

"Hmm," Rusty replied, removing his mug from his lips and placing it on the table. "I'll be there. Look, I have to go. I've got a client who needs me right now."

Sharon watched him stand up before standing up as well to give him a tight hug. "Call me if you need me."

"I will," he told her before kissing her cheek and leaving.

...

Byrnes frowned as she spotted Rusty heading towards her, a polite smile playing on his lips. "What are you doing here?" She asked as he met her.

"I'm here to support Hope. That and a client of mine is here so I'm killing two birds with one stone." He replied, leaning against the wall.

"Graphic," Leila joked. "They're not ready yet. Hope is in the process of identifying the man then your mother and I will question the chosen suspect. Her lawyer is taking his time to arrive though."

Rusty frowned. "Really?" He asked, checking the time. "Isn't he supposed to be in there with her?"

"He is but his flight was delayed. Had family issues to attend to abroad." Byrnes explained. "What is it with you lawyers and your family affairs?"

"Wish I knew. Until now, I was the only lawyer who could take on her case but since we are family..."

Leia nodded, getting what he was saying. "The government love changing the laws back and fro. Especially when it comes to professions where family members are involved like police, lawyers and doctors. None of us can be too involved otherwise our hearts will rule our minds. Just be glad that there is no connection between Commander Flynn and Hope because she is great at what she does."

Rusty blushed as Leia's high praise of his adopted mother. "She really is. She's a badass, honestly. I've seen her many times when I was younger of how she dealt with cases so smooth and quickly."

"You sound proud of her."

"I am. And she's proud of me too. Now... I'm nearing my thirties and I wish I had someone that could look up to me and I'd be proud of them too."

Rusty could admit that ever since he hit age twenty-five, he'd been experiencing relationship blues and had wanted to find that special person he could start a family with. He had never thought he'd start thinking like this since his not so perfect upbringing before Sharon Raydor found him but he felt there was more to life than living like a bachelor with no heir.

"I will do whatever it takes to adopt Hope. The Lewises can't stop me."

Byrnes smiled. "That's the spirit." She spotted a man jogging up to them, apologies being spilled out of his mouth. "You must be Mr Dolan." She said, raising an eyebrow.

"Sorry, again... Yeah, I am. Kieron Dolan."

Rusty turned around to face him, slightly shocked. "Hey,"

"Hey... Well, this is awkward."

Byrnes looked between the two of them before letting out a bemused smile. "Who knew lawyers had one-night stands between each other?" She teased. "I hope this won't be awkward, Kid. Your sister can't afford awkward."

"Sister?" Kieron asked.

"You're my half-sister's lawyer now." Rusty replied. "Will that be too awkward?"

Kieron chuckled. "You're acting like we parted on bad terms. It's fine, honestly. I can't wait to meet her and fight for her."

"Thanks," Rusty replied, blushing just as the door opened and his mother exited with Buzz in tow. "Mom,"

Sharon looked up from her phone and turned around. "Oh, there you are! I was just about to call you to see where you were." She smiled, giving him a brief hug before letting go and introducing herself to Dolan. "Hope has just identified who hurt her so Lieutenant Byrnes and I will question him and hopefully give enough evidence for you to take this to court." She told Dolan. "Rusty, honey, if you're not too busy I'd like to talk to you in my office?"

Rusty nodded, briskly following her as she took her leave from the conversation and tapped away at her phone. "What's up?" He asked as she shut the door behind them.

"The Lewises have just admitted to abusing Hope physically and verbally. Hospital records coincide with this from before she ran away but they had her under Hope Lewis, that's why the hospital who checked her over did not have records of her. Also, the documents and notebook found with Sharon Beck were deciphered. The documents are legal sheets regarding you as Hope's permanent guardian if anything were to happen to her and Gary. She must have known that Gary had escaped and was going to harm her. The notebook was her diary and she wrote about how the Lewises abused both her and Hope and even had been in contact with Gary, telling him to take her and Hope away. She said she had set up a trust fund for Hope that would be under your responsibility until she is eighteen. There's over three thousand dollars in this fund. She'd been saving up for Hope's college funds."

Rusty breathed out, sitting down on the sofa and taking it in. "She knew that she was going to die?"

"Seems so. But don't beat yourself over it. Now, we can make the necessary steps to sue the Lewises and put her abuser in jail. Andy says that since you're considering home schooling, you two can move in with us to get her up to the level she needs to be at. He is working part time and he really wants to be the one to home school her. Says it will keep him on his toes." She smiled brightly.

"Are you guys sure?" Rusty asked, shocked. "I was thinking of giving up my room at my apartment."

"Well, you could stay at the loft and Hope could move in with us. You're busy most days so it will make sense. Until you can find another roommate for your friend." Sharon said.

Rusty hugged her tightly. "I trust you guys to look after her while I work. The more I do, the easier it will be to raise the money to rent out a two bed place near work. Everything seems so surreal."

"Well, honey, it's real. She's coming home."


	5. Chapter 5

"...Happy birthday to you!" Sharon beamed as everyone finished the last notes to the song, making her blow out the candles.

"Thank you all!" She grinned, kissing Andy's cheek before taking Emily's hand tightly in hers. "Cake for everyone! Emily, can you and Nicole do the honours?"

Emily smiled, replying with a kiss on the cheek before she and Nicole started to cut the cake into sizeable pieces to go around.

Sharon noticed Rusty heading towards the living room with his pockets in his jeans. "I'm going to check on him." She whispered to Andy.

Andy sighed. "It's not our fault that they couldn't just straight away give Hope to him. They had to do all the background checks to make sure he was suitable."

"But his past..."

"Didn't affect him getting into college and law school," Andy replied. "Go. Everyone is distracted with the eggless cake."

Sharon gave him a soft smile and left his side, heading the direction that Rusty went. The party was mainly in the backyard but had drifted into the kitchen for a brief cake fill before continuing with the barbeque outside again so the house was moderately quiet.

"How are you doing?" Sharon asked, sitting beside her son. She raised her eyebrows when her gaze went to her coffee table.

Taking his feet off and back on the ground, Rusty replied with an eye roll. "I'm fine. Just wondering what it would be like to have Hope here. Running around with my nieces and nephews in the backyard. Watching TV here... Being taught by Dad in the dining room. I just miss her. I haven't seen her in two days."

"Before this, you hadn't seen her in seven years." Sharon gently replied.

"I know but now... she's everything to me."

Sharon's lips curled into a bright smile. "She's already got you wrapped around her little finger."

The doorbell rang and they both turned to look at it.

"I'll get it," Rusty grumbled, standing up and going over her legs to make his way to the door. When he opened it, he was attacked by something.

"I'm home!"

Rusty's eyes widened as he looked down at the familiar mop of blonde hair. "H-Hope?"

She wasn't alone. "I believe you're missing someone?" Byrnes grinned, standing beside the social worker. "Your mother arranged for this little surprise. Oh, and I'm also invited to the party."

Rusty breathed out, tightening his arms around Hope's shoulders. "Thank you," he said to Sharon who shrugged, giving him a smile.

"It was hard keeping it a secret from you. But I knew that your mind and heart wouldn't be here so I made the effort and got myself my own birthday present - Hope." She beamed.

"Oh... I'm going to have to introduce and explain her to the siblings, aren't I?" Rusty realised as he saw Ricky's curious glances at them.

"Why don't you guys go and spend time together, first? Show her where she will make her own space upstairs. I'll hold the fort." Sharon replied. "Go on, I'll even save some cake for the both of you."

...

Rusty rushed down the stairs, holding two empty dishes to put in the sink. When he got to the kitchen, he saw Nicole washing up.

"Hey. You've been stuck up there for ages. Everyone missed you."

Rusty winced. "Yeah, I... I have a guest." He replied softly, adding to the piled dirty dishes in the sink. He got a washcloth and started to dry the ones she had already cleaned.

Nicole grinned. "A guy?"

"No." Rusty blushed. "I would never bring a guy around when the parents are home."

She laughed. "Then who? Ricky told us that you and your mom were acting weird by the front door."

"Where is he, by the way?"

Nicole raised an eyebrow at the diversion. "Outside with Dean, Charlie and Nicole. Your mom and my dad are waving everyone off out front."

"Okay, good. I need to introduce you to somebody. Hey, where are the kids?"

"Guest bedroom watching a child-friendly movie. I warned my boys not to put anything scary on." Nicole replied, finishing up with the dishes. "Well, introduce us. We'll be waiting outside." She said, drying her hands and heading back out into the cold night air.

Rusty quickly put all the clean dishes away before going to Hope's new bedroom. When he entered, he found her fast asleep by his open laptop.

Kneeling down, he gently shook her awake. "Hope? Honey?" That word felt foreign in his mouth but it felt... right.

Hope mumbled in her sleep before opening her eyes very slowly. "Rusty?"

"My..." He licked his lips nervously. "The family want to meet you."

"It's okay to say your siblings..." Hope said, slightly hurt. "But I can fit in with them. Can't I?"

Rusty smiled, stroking her hair. "Yeah. Come on."

She followed obediently, shyly staying behind Rusty as they made their way down the stairs. Sharon and Andy met them by the front door, curious.

"I wanted to introduce her before she went to bed. Ricky and Katie will be gone tomorrow morning back to Chicago."

Sharon nodded, smiling brightly at the child. "Wonderful. Are you ready, Hope?"

Hope gripped onto Rusty's waist, nodding shyly as she nibbled on a bit of her hair. "I guess..."

"Don't do that, Hope." Rusty gently cooed, taking her hand into his. She replied with a smile.

"I'm ready."

The four made their way through the kitchen back out to the garden where a small bonfire was lit, Rusty's older siblings chatting idly around it.

"Who's this?" Emily asked, shuffling to the side of her seat to accommodate her mother.

Rusty brought Hope to his side, preventing her from hiding behind him. "Everyone, this is Hope. My half-sister. I adopted her."

"Oh," Emily whispered, turning to briefly glance at their mother. "Are you sure you're ready to look after a child? No offence but you have no support and you haven't had a stable relationship since Gus."

Rusty resisted the urge to make a snarky remark, one which could destroy his relationship with his adopted sister and with his brother-in-law. "Mom and Dad have decided to help me. She's living here."

"What happened to your other mom? Why can't she look after the kid?" Ricky asked. His wife gently swatted him for his use of wording. Detaching himself from Hope.

Sharon breathed out, standing up to stand beside her youngest son and his little sister. "Right now, we are investigating the murder-suicide of Sharon Beck and Gary Lewis."

Hope gasped, her eyes wide as she looked up at Rusty. "W-What? She's... dead?"

Rusty opened his mouth but nothing came out so he glared at his mother. "Why did you say that?"

"I'm sorry. It had to be said. They need to understand." Sharon sighed, covering her face. "I forgot we didn't tell her..." she whispered, sadly.

Hope's eyes watered as she pushed Rusty back and ran into the house. Just as Rusty was about to go after her, Nicole stood up and stopped him.

"I'll go. I see how much she means to you. Even if the others don't." She told him, glaring at their siblings before jogging back into the house.

"Nicole will sort this. Gives them a chance to get properly accquainted." Andy promised.


	6. Chapter 6

"I had a feeling."

Nicole gently stroked her hair, pulling Hope closer to her chest. "Hope, your mother loved you very much. And now, your brother does too. The reason why the rest of us are a bit hesitant about all this is that he's more or less lived the lifestyle of a bachelor. Also, our parents... well, they're not as young as they used to be. My dad has a heart condition and any stress could potentially endanger his life."

"I should go, then. I didn't mean to ruin anyone's life. My grandparents from my dad hated me too..." Hope replied sadly. She pushed herself from Nicole's chest and walked over to her suitcase, putting her stuffed teddy inside.

"What are you doing, honey?"

Hope's lips wavered as she swallowed her tears, continuing to pack. "I'm going. I ran away once, I can again."

"You'll break Rusty's heart. And our parents'." Nicole gently said, watching the young blonde dump her clothes in a battered suitcase.

"My heart already broke the day I was born," Hope whispered to herself.

Nicole took a deep breath to stop her own tears from forming. Firmly, she took Hope's hand and pulled her to her chest, wrapping her up in a hug. "You've been through so much, Hope. I can tell. Your eyes look so dull, there's no light in them. The way you looked at our brother, I could see that you held so much hope for him. He loves you. Sure, he wasn't there in the beginning but you should have seen him back then. He wanted nothing more than to be a lawyer for family law. To help make a difference. He was studying day and night to get the best grades he could so he could make something of himself. He didn't have the time to visit the rest of us or even celebrate Christmas and Thanksgiving. I doubt he would have even had the time to visit you but I know he thought of you all the time."

"How do you know that?" Hope asked, frowning.

Nicole gave her a gentle smile. "When you were a couple of months old, he babysat for your mom. He drove all the way down to you and he looked after you. That night, he left with something extra. One of your little gloves. He said it was a good luck charm from you. He wanted you everywhere with him but he was young back then, he had his own life."

"He never forgot me?"

"No, honey. Every Thanksgiving, he would thank God for you. He regrets not being there all that much but he hoped your mother would be there for you just until he was able to come. A lot has happened over the years. Our dad... he's had a lot of health scares and Sharon... her job's not that easy. She puts herself on the frontline and sometimes it backfires in her face and she gets seriously hurt." Nicole sighed.

Hope pulled away and crossed her legs on her bed. "Do you promise that they want me, no matter what?"

"Oh, I promise. We're all really excited to get to know you. You've made a lot of people really happy than they have been in a long time."

There was a knock on the door and it slowly opened to reveal Rusty. "Is it safe to come in?"

Hope gave him a small smile before running towards him for a hug. "I know you didn't tell me to protect me. I didn't want to make it real..."

Rusty held her tightly against his chest, kissing the top of her head. "Same here. She wasn't all that good to me but she was still our mom, you know? I never forgot her and I never forgot you."

"Will there be a funeral?"

Rusty winced, thankful she couldn't see him. "Not right now, no. They have to understand why she died before they release the body but you'll be the first one to know when, yeah?"

Hope nodded against his chest. "Can we put lilies there? She loved them. Well, I think she loved them. She always put one in my lunchbox when I went to preschool."

"Anything you want, honey."

Nicole got off the bed and smiled at him before passing them. "I think it is time that everyone went home."

"Tell them..."

"I know," she replied, patting his shoulder. "They care about you and once they see how wonderful she is, they'll adore Hope too."

She left, leaving the half-siblings still hugging.

"Never let go of me?"

"Why would I even want to?" Rusty replied, kissing her head. "Why would I ever want to?"


	7. Chapter 7

Andy grinned, handing over a chocolate bar to Hope.

"You catch on fast. Hey, Sharon! We might have a maths genius in the family. About time..."

Hope blushed, carefully unwrapping the bar and eating it. "It seems easy enough. Give me harder questions."

Andy chuckled, taking the rest of the bar away from her. "As her royal genius requests. We'll spend another half hour or so on this before moving on to English okay? Science will be tomorrow when Sharon takes you to the zoo."

Once hearing her name again, Sharon entered the dining room, wiping her hands with a dish rag. "Oh, it will be fun! Shame Rusty has to make up his hours tomorrow." She sighed, sitting beside Hope to see her answers. "You're really clever. I'm sure Rusty will be happy to see that."

Blushing, Hope excused herself to the bathroom, hanging her head down.

"What it something I said?" Sharon frowned, alarmed.

Andy sighed, shaking her head. "She's been like this for a little while. I think she just wishes her mother was here to see this."

"Hmm, yes. Well, you better finish up soon, dinner's ready."

Her husband kissed her cheek before heading outside with his phone. Sharon decided to take the time for their team to update her on the ongoing case regarding Sharon Beck. She knew that it would be time until Hope had moved on since losing her mother for four years without knowing where she was for all those years on the street. She knew that Rusty had felt guilty, being part of the reason for his little sister to suffer the same fate he did when he was just a little bit older than her. Living on the streets, doing unbelievable things to get by but now working hard just for her seemed to be his only goal.

"...See you soon."

"Who was that?" Sharon asked as Andy joined her in the kitchen.

"Rusty. I called him."

"Is he staying for dinner?"

Andy shrugged. "Says he'll be here around eight. His roommate's staying with some friends so he's taking Hope for the night."

"Oh..." Sharon mumbled. "Do you think that is wise? He's going to work at six tomorrow morning."

"He's taking the morning off to look after her. He wants to know what's been making her sad."

Sharon nodded. "I guess it's good he's coming over. I've been updated on the case."

"So it is a murder-suicide?"

"Yes. I'll sort out the funeral arrangements."

Andy shook his head, sighing. "We knew all along what it was but since it's now official... how are they going to feel? I'm worried about Rusty."

"Me too..." Sharon confided. "Rusty has always freaked out when he thought that I was dead all those years ago. Even the slightest slap or punch got him attached to me like a lost puppy."

Andy was about to respond when Sharon's phone went off. She sighed, answering it but as moments continued, her faced began to pale by the minute.

"Sharon?"

Sharon ended the call and turned to face him, Darth Raydor making an appearance. "They found the guy who hurt Hope. He was hit by a car and taken to hospital under a fake name but one doctor recognised him."

"Who is he, I thought those two suspects that we had did it?"

She gulped deeply. "They didn't. It was Stroh." She whispered just as Hope entered the kitchen with a grin.

"Is dinner ready, yet?"

Andy planted a grin on his face, quickly placing the child onto his lap. "Not yet, Sharon's got to make dessert."

"Does it have chocolate?"

He nodded, making Sharon smile. "Lots and lots of chocolate!"

"But none until dinner is finished. Rusty is on his way." She told the young blonde before going back to cooking. "Hope, lovely... If you ever saw the man who hurt you, would you recognise him?"

Hope's eyes widened. "I have to see him again?!"

"No! No!" Andy exclaimed, hushing the child against his chest. "No, we just want to know if you'd know who did it."

"I remember everything..." Hope whispered against Andy's chest as she closed her eyes tightly. "He-He..." She sniffled. "He had dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. They hated me. The eyes hated me. He wore a suit like Rusty wears to work. He smelt horrible! This muddy-"

"Musky?"

"Yeah! This musky smell..." Hope sighed in Andy's arms, tears slipping down his cheeks. "He said it wouldn't hurt. He said 'it is _him_ who caused this'. I don't know what he meant."

Andy's eyes reached Sharon's frightened ones. "He knows..." Sharon mouthed to him.

The doorbell rang and she rushed to answer it, letting Rusty in who held up a bottle of expensive wine. "Stopped by the store to get this for you. As a thank you for all that you're doing for Hope and me." He said, kissing her cheek. "Where's my number one girl?"

"We need to talk, first."

Rusty's smile disappeared a little before returning. "She's a little prodigy, isn't she? I knew Dad couldn't handle not being the most academic in the family."

He walked past her, into the kitchen to place a kiss on Hope who had seemingly returned to a normal state as she sipped orange juice whilst colouring on the breakfast nook table.

"Hey, honey."

"Hi."

Rusty shrugged before sitting beside her and uncorking the bottle. "Wine, anyone? Except for Hope."

His mother nodded. "Just half for me though. I have an early night." Sharon told him, patting his shoulder.

"Hope and I will stick with orange juice," Andy replied.

"Oh, yes. Well, I'm having a full glass. I won another case today and was rewarded with three days off so I got time for my favourite girl."

Hope blushed, grinning. "Can we go to the beach?"

"Beach, laser tag. You name it, honey." Rusty told her. "You guys look like you've seen a ghost, are you all right?"

"Yes," Sharon smiled. "Of course. Let me just serve dinner, we can sit at the breakfast nook since it's no hassle."

She gave Andy a look and he nodded in reply. Not now.


	8. Chapter 8

"I have to tell you something."

It was unusual. Not that Sharon Flynn never visited her youngest's loft but today she did.

Rusty stood back. "Wow, Mom. No 'hello' or anything?" He smiled, letting her in. "Hope's still asleep. She finally met my roommate and somehow I managed to be the victim of makeup abuse."

Sharon chuckled, sitting down on the sofa. "I haven't got long, honey. I'm due to work on a case and I can leave Julio leading for a certain amount of time."

"Ok, what's up?"

Sharon took a deep breath, cautious of the stairs leading to Rusty's sleeping area. "She's up there?"

"No, she's in Leslie's room. She and Leslie passed out watching some chick flick - don't worry it was suitable for younger audiences."

"And where is Leslie?"

Rusty leant back on the sofa. "Work. She was on call it turns out."

His mother clicked her tongue. "Well, this situation is very serious Rusty..."

"What is?" His heart suddenly became louder in his ears. "You told me to be prepared. He's back, isn't he?"

Sharon nodded. "There's more."

"I'm definitely going to get put on that witness protection list, aren't I? What about Hope? I've finally got her back in my life again... I'm going to have to take her with me. They won't split us up, will they?"

Sharon took his hands in hers, lowering her voice just enough so he could still hear. "The coroner's report came through. It was definitely a murder-suicide. Their bodies were released yesterday. I have specifically asked for Sharon Beck's body to be released to us. She's at a funeral director's and I am taking care of that."

"I knew it. Deep down, I knew that Gary would hurt her again. I should have stayed in touch."

"You can't blame yourself." Sharon looked down. She knew that she had to say the other thing but he was already showing signs of a panic attack. Hope being attacked for who she was... That was going to be the icing on the salt-filled cake.

Rusty squeezed her hands slightly. "You're holding something back. Tell me."

"I have to go-"

"Tell me, _Sharon_."

Sharon gasped. He hadn't called her that unless he was upset or mad at her. Sometimes he even used it as a joke but 'mom' had always been his go-to name for her.

"Stroh knew who she was. He hurt her because-"

"Of me?" His voice broke, his eyes drifting towards the closed door where his half-sister was asleep in a mountain of popcorn and makeup. "Stroh knows about her?"

Sharon sighed, her grip tightening once she realised that he was trying to pull away. "We don't know the full story but he was involved in a hit and run before being taken to the hospital. We had a little talk with Hope last night and she told us about the night it happened. She said something he... said. The reports came through yesterday as well, they found traces of Stroh's DNA on Hope's clothes."

"What happens now?"

"I-I don't know. We have him cuffed at the hospital and we're ordering tight security watch over him. I think it's over in the Phillip Stroh book for now."

Rusty pulled one of his hands back to wipe his tears. "Do I still have to stand as a witness in court?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, honey. For now, you and Hope just spend time together. Don't act too out of the ordinary around her. Get her settled."

"And the case?"

"She doesn't have to be there. You can go in her place." Sharon replied, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I'm going to be with you every step of the way. You are not alone in this."

Rusty wrapped his arms around her, leaning his head against her shoulder. "I just wish that everything was normal."

"Me too, honey. Me too."

"Who would have thought a little girl will turn my life upside down?"

Sharon smiled sadly. "But she brings joy in everything she does."

...

"Disneyland Paris."

Hope gasped, squealing as she nodded. "Yes! I want to go!"

Andy raised an eyebrow at his wife and their son. "What about school?"

Rusty rolled his eyes. "She hasn't had a holiday before. Plus, she's homeschooled, she won't be missing anything because she's already ahead. Aren't you, my little brainiac?"

Hope giggled, nodding as she sipped on her carton of milk. "I am."

"Well, I guess it's settled. You'll go after the case." Sharon turned to smile at Hope, rubbing her shoulder a little. "You better ask Rusty to take a lot of money so you can buy the place out."

"Hey! Don't you know how much girls cost until they're eighteen? Please, don't make me go bankrupt at twenty-eight."

Sharon chuckled, winking at Hope who blushed and grinned back.

They knew that the next couple of months were going to be difficult and very trying but they knew that together, they would get through this and finally shut the door on Phillip Stroh. He hadn't stopped Rusty from going to Law school and becoming a lawyer. They didn't stop him from later making other people's lives better. He was living the dream which he never knew he would have when he was fifteen but now his life was great and he wasn't going to let anyone take that away from him.

Sharing a glance at his mother, Rusty smiled. "Thank you," he mouthed to her.

"You're welcome..." She mouthed back. "Now, who's ready for dinner?"

"What is it?" Hope asked.

Sharon shrugged. "Anything you want."

"Pizza!"

Sharon winced. She had it coming to her. "You're paying, Rusty."

"Wait, what?"


	9. Chapter 9

It was finally over. The cases against Stroh had come and gone, leaving Rusty feeling a lot happier than he had been in a long time.

He was free.

She was free.

"Do you want chocolate chips on your pancakes?"

Hope nodded from her place at the counter island, writing numbers upon numbers.

"Give that a break, honey."

She shook her head. "Grandpa said that I can do it. And I will. Ooh, add some honey on those, will you?"

Rusty raised an eyebrow. "Will I what?"

"Please." She said sweetly, grinning. A tooth had fallen out the day before from her top front teeth and she had been wearing her new smile with pride.

Chuckling, "Good." He turned back to the stove, flipping the pancake and adding some chocolate chips onto it.

They were disturbed by the front door to the loft opening and Leslie coming in with her uniform on. "Oh, I forgot that you guys would be here. Thought you'd be at your mother's."

"We were supposed to be there but I wanted some time alone with Hope."

Hope smiled at Leslie, waving. "Hi."

"Hi," Leslie smiled back, looking over her shoulder. "My God, she's doing high school equations?!"

Rusty nodded. "My dad... he, uh, thought she was a mathematical genius or something but I don't get it. She's never been to school before this."

Leslie nodded, impressed. "Well, tell him he's right. She's got all the answers right so far. Well done, kiddo!" She placed her things by Hope. "I'm going to take a shower and when I get back, there better be some pancakes for me too, please."

Rusty chuckled. "You got it, Les."

"What do I call you? Grandma said that you'll take me to the courthouse to change my name."

Rusty turned the stove off, placing the recently done pancakes on a stack and separating them. "I don't know, Hope. You call my adopted parents your grandparents but you're my half-sister."

"How about I call you 'dad'?"

"If-If you want."

Hope grinned. "Yeah, Dad. Because you kind of are, aren't you? I mean, you're adopting me and well, we don't really know each other and brother and sister and it's weird but it's us."

"Perfect," Rusty smiled, kissing her head. "Just like you."

"Oh stop it!" Hope said dramatically. "You're making me blush!"

Rusty chuckled. "Hey, if those math equations don't work out, I'll start getting you stage coach lessons so you can be an actress."

"Ew." Hope shook her head. "I'm good thanks. I want a career that actually makes me money and won't care about my looks or my age."

"That's my girl," Rusty winked at her. "I'm thinking we can turn Beck into your middle name like I did. You could be Hope Beck Raydor-Flynn."

Hope nodded. "That's fine. As long as I'm yours and you-"

"Are mine."

There was a knock on the door and Rusty ruffled her hair before going to answer it.

Behind it stood Gus, holding a small child with a small smile on his face.

"Hi."

"H-Hey."

...

Sharon stared out the window, everything running through her mind at a million miles per hour.

"What's got you thinking so hard?"

She shook her head, smiling at her husband. "Rusty wants us to be witnesses today for the final stage in adopting Hope."

Andy winced. "I know, he told me the time. I've got a doctor's appointment. But I will try and make it. That little girl deserves the best and I want to be one of the people to give that to her."

"Good because a lot has happened in just that small amount of life and right now, we're the best thing for her. Rusty included. He wants the absolute best for her. That's why I've been looking to private schooling."

"I thought that we agreed with Rusty that she should be homeschooled for a year."

Sharon nodded. "Yes, but do you know how long the waiting lists to get into the elite schools are? It's best to join the queue now, especially with her advanced abilities so by next year, she could be learning with kids her age, with her mindset. We can't forget that she is a kid."

Andy nodded, sighing. "I know. I found this great Girls' Brownies she could go to."

"That's great. We can slowly get her back into civilisation with kids her age."

"We could start taking her to church, maybe see if she likes choir or-"

Sharon chuckled. "She's a kid, not a pageant contestant."

"Well, you can never be too safe in creating the perfect human being."

"Tell that to our son," she chuckled.

There was a knock on the door and Sharon called for the person to enter.

"Hey, I'm just dropping Hope off. I have a visitor."

Hope entered, waving at Rusty. "Bye, Dad!"

Rusty smiled, waving back. "Bye, Hope."

"So, who's your visitor?" Andy asked, handing Hope her maths book.

"Gus."

Sharon raised an eyebrow. "Your ex, Gus? The same one who went to Napa, got married and presumably has kids?"

"He has one. A son and he's in town on work business."

Sharon nodded. "Well, why did he come to see you? And why are you going to meet him?"

Rusty sighed. "I know you're both mad at him for ending things the way he did but at the end of the day, we're still friends. We're going for a coffee to properly talk things over. Face to face."

"As long as you're back in the adoption process."

"I will be. I just want closure."


	10. Chapter 10

**Short but a filler :)**

* * *

"Thank you for hearing me out."

Rusty sighed but nodded. "You don't deserve it but I'm not one to hold any grudges. I am glad that you have a decent life."

Gus frowned a little, his attention turning to his son. "Thanks. How's your half-sister? You were kind of abrupt when I showed up."

"She's fine." Rusty left it at that. "Look, is there something more to this meeting? I am really busy today." He checked his watch - an hour left.

"I just wanted to see how you were. Last time we spoke, you were in tears."

Rusty shrugged. "Yeah, well, I was having a bad day. It was months ago."

"But still... Rusty, I care about you." Gus took his hand and squeezed it.

"You're married now. With a kid. Focus on your family and I will focus on my own." Rusty took his hand back and cleared his throat. "I really have to go. Today was a bad day for last minute meetings but if you do want to talk some more although I don't think I have anything left to say to you, I'm free at the weekend."

He stood up and walked out of the diner, heading to his car.

"Rusty, please."

He shook his head and got into the car, starting the ignition and leaving. He spent a while at a nearby park from the Town Hall and sighed. Was he really doing the right thing? Did he really get the closure he needed? He barely even spoke to him. Their meeting was nothing more than five minutes long.

His phone rang and he answered it. "I'm on my way."

He got to the Town Hall with plenty of time to spare and grinned when Hope ran into his arms, making him carry her and kiss her head.

"Let's make this official, shall we?"

After it was official, Hope was Rusty's forever, the family went to a high-end restaurant.

"Your sisters say congratulations." Sharon smiled, placing her phone back into her pocket. "The boys are taking their time. What will you like, Hope? This day is all about you."

Hope blushed, looking through the menu. "I want pancakes."

Rusty chuckled. "Hope, that's the dessert menu. Do you want a steak burger or something?"

She shook her head. "I just want dessert. Not that hungry but I want pancakes."

"Hey, what's up?"

"Momma used to bring home pancakes after work. We would share them." Hope sighed sadly, placing the menu back down on the table.

"Okay, how about you have a burger and you and I can share a large stack of pancakes. Just like this morning." Rusty promised.

Hope grinned with a nod and decided on a hamburger with fries.

"Good girl." Sharon smiled brightly.

"Can you believe it?" Andy asked as they were eating. "Rusty's got someone else to think about instead of him for once. Good luck with planning holidays away, buying Build-A-Bears and boy troubles."

Rusty playfully rolled his eyes. "There won't be boy troubles."

"Don't be too sure." Andy raised an eyebrow at Hope who was smiling at a boy her age from across the room.

"Hope..."

Hope turned to Rusty with a grin. "He's cute."

"And you're not a teenager yet. Eyes on us, please." He blushed furiously.

Hope giggled. "Okay, then. I've got five years until I give you more grief." She winked.


End file.
